


Woman

by hedagriffen



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Kara Danvers, Established Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Inspired by Music, Jealous Lena Luthor, Lena Luthor Doesn't Know Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Minor Kara Danvers/Mon-El, Minor Samantha "Sam" Arias/Alex Danvers, Protective Kara Danvers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-06 19:47:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15892893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hedagriffen/pseuds/hedagriffen
Summary: When Lena Luthor moved to National City, she didn't expect much. She knew that making friends would be hard, even without Lex's reputation being passed onto her, and that saving her family's company would be a challenge. Lena buys a small apartment in an unassuming building to live out her soon to be lonely life in peace, but what she doesn't account for is the cute, blonde journalist who lives across the hall.Kara Danvers is struggling to balance her life. The line between her two personalities is getting blurrier every day, and sometimes she can't decide which side she's playing: Supergirl or Kara. It doesn't help that her boss is hounding her about her connection to the caped crusader, or that her new boyfriend, Mon-El, can't break out of his old ways. When she meets her gorgeous, amazingly well-dressed neighbor, Kara thinks she might just find the answers to all of her life's questions.





	1. On My Own

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter was inspired by "On My Own" by Niall Horan

_Everybody's got somebody_

_I just want to be alone_

_Well I don't need no one_

_Have too much fun_

_Out here on my own_

 

     Lena didn't expect much from National City. Her new home would be cold and lonely, with Lex's failures and reputation following her wherever she goes. It almost makes her resent the brother that went mad, the one with 32 life sentences in prison, but when her plane touches down in her new home, Lena feels a sense of determination. Her job isn't to sit around, hating her brother. Lena is in National City to rebuild LuthorCorp into the company she knows it can be. A company that leads its competition into a new frontier of exploration in technology and science, not one that focuses on eliminating Kryptonians. Lena had warned Lex about tampering with Superman to no avail, and he was paying the price for what he did. Now Lena can do the only thing she knows: deny being like him, like a Luthor. 

     When she was younger, Lena had been very close to her brother. Looking back, she can even see a point in her life that could've led her down the same path he chose to follow. In the fifth grade, a girl named Cindy Ryan stole her boyfriend, so Lena took Cindy's diary and spread it around school. Her adoptive mother Lillian was proud, but Lena regrets her choice every time she remembers Cindy's tears. Since then, Lena has vowed to never act like her mother, and now estranged brother. This move to National City was all about changing the public's perspective of the Luthor name and bring life back to LuthorCorp. 

     The car ride to her new apartment is longer than she expected as her driver winds through traffic. The skyscrapers jab the sky in a way that makes her miss Metropolis and its beautiful architecture; these buildings weren't sleek, but rather choppy with no organization whatsoever. Lena offhandedly wonders how Supergirl manages to navigate in this city at all. Her apartment building is unassuming and smaller than she's used to. There will likely be a long adjustment period, but she chose this building for a reason. No sane person would ever expect the billionaire, now CEO of LuthorCorp, to live in such a common apartment. This would be Lena's new safe place, where she could hide from the world on her rare off-days and never run into someone who could recognize her. Yes, the size difference would take some getting used to, and the cracking bricks outside might make her feel uneasy, but she was going to take this in stride just like every other challenge thrown her way.

     The apartment is on the fourth floor at the very end of the hall to the right, and her new key jingles against its ring as she jostles it into the lock. It takes some force to turn it, something that Lena stores into the back of her mind for later, before giving way and allowing her to open the door. She is greeted by a small but open kitchen and living room. She had payed someone to come in and decorate the apartment a week ago, and her money was put to good use. The style is completely her own: no family pictures, no unnecessary potted plants, just a couple of paintings to add color to the otherwise gray room. Her couch looks a little uncomfortable, but the white pillows look nice against the slightly darker cushions. The rug is one of those fluffy, kind of hairy ones that are fun to walk through barefoot, and the glass coffee table effectively adds purpose to the living room set. The television is nothing spectacular, just like the dark oak dining set, but Lena knows that the designer did what she could given the space.

     Lena journeys farther into the apartment, setting down her purse and taking off her jacket. She can see her bedroom to the right through an open doorway, the four poster bed is covered with gray and white sheets, the makeshift closet already has the clothes she mailed earlier this week, and the bay window to the left seems to lead out to a balcony. It almost gives Lena comfort to know that she can walk from her bed to the refrigerator in less than thirty seconds, at least that's what she tells herself. She aches to take her heels and dress off and relax after her flight, but a knock on the still open door startles her.

"Hey! Are you the one who's moving in here? I tried to ask your interior designer, but she was pretty tight-lipped," a voice says, and even though Lena can't see it, she knows the girl behind her is smiling.

     What she doesn't know is that the girl is even cuter than she sounds. Her blonde hair is up in a tight ponytail with a blue headband keeping the stray curls out of her face. The thick-framed glasses cover up blue eyes that lead to tiny freckles and a slender nose. She's dressed in a button down, striped green shirt with a blue cardigan and khaki slacks, which should not have gone with the outfit, but for some reason, Lena thinks that this girl could wear a trash bag and still pull it off. She stutters and stalls for a second before regaining her composure enough to respond.

"Yes, I've just moved here from Metropolis," Lena says, starting to question her choice of professional attire as the girl in her doorway looks her up and down.

"That's awesome! I'm your neighbor, Kara Danvers. Did you move in with someone or am I being too excited about a new neighbor?" Kara asks, feet bouncing up and down. "If you want some food, I just ordered some Chinese that I am fully prepared to share."

Lena almost smiles before turning Kara down, "That's okay, I ate on the flight over. I'm Lena, and I'm by myself here. I don't know anyone in National City yet, so it is very nice to meet you, Kara."

   A flicker of disappointment flashes across Kara's face before disappearing into a smile. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that- I mean, it's not that I don't want to get to know you, you seem cool and everything, I just really didn't want to share my food! My sister says that sharing food is a great way to reach out to someone and make new friends, but I already have to split it with my boyfriend, and I like to eat a lot so-"

"Kara, it's okay. I get it, and maybe when I'm not so exhausted from a trip across the country, I'll take you up on that offer," Lena cuts off the rambling girl in front of her, desperate to get out of the awkward situation she feels herself sinking into. She had thought this girl was cute, dating worthy attractive even. It was foolish to think Kara would even be into girls, let alone someone she just met. Kara's apparent happiness at the mention of her boyfriend made Lena feel even more alone than usual. She used to be that happy with Jack, at least she thinks she was, before she broke things off to move here.

"Yeah! Totally! That's crazy that you moved here without knowing anyone; isn't that a little lonely?" Kara inquires, and Lena starts to feel like she's playing twenty questions.

"I'm used to being on my own, actually. It can be fun sometimes to sit down and relax without anyone bothering you," she claims.

"Oh, that's cool. I've never really been alone all the time before, but to each their own," Kara says with a smile. "I've got to go let my boyfriend in, but I'll talk to you later!" The blonde retreats down the hall, humming as she goes. 

Lena quickly strides over to the door to shut it before putting her forehead on the wood. She sighs, already feeling the jet lag creeping up on her.

* * *

 

_Long came the devil, caught my eye_

_She's kind of my type_

_Chelsea baby, drives me crazy_

_There's one thing on my mind_

 

 

     Lena's first week in National City is a flurry of meetings and late nights, of media questions and redirection, but there is one constant to the hectic struggle of her new life. Kara Danvers, the neighbor who loves food, is always up when Lena gets home. At first, Lena didn't pay much attention, but as the week dragged on, she began to notice the blonde's odd sleeping schedule. For the first couple of days, Lena had been doing good in terms of getting home at a reasonable hour. Eleven at night was a bit early for her, but the CEO took advantage of the short working days and missed them when they were gone. By the middle of the week, the paperwork had really revealed itself, and it was a miracle that she could make it home at all, forcing her door open and stumbling into her apartment around three in the morning. Kara had surprised her during the first early morning return, her bright eyes looking through those glasses at Lena, almost concerned as she rushed in behind the CEO to help her into bed. Lena vowed to be better prepared for her neighbor, and the next night, she was.

Lena had just gotten her annoying door to open when she saw the flash of blonde out of the corner of her eye, "Good morning, Kara. I'm sorry if I woke you up," she said, apologetic. 

"Oh don't worry about it, I usually am still awake around this time anyways! Did you have a good day at work?" Kara asked, leaning against her door frame.

Lena smiled. "If your definition of a good work day is being surrounded by old men who want to tell you what to do all day and give you mountains of work to do, then yes, I had a good work day."

"I'm so sorry! Bosses can be so harsh sometimes. When I started working for CatCo, Miss Grant was a real pain to work with, but it gets better once you get used to the crazy requests and odd hours," the blonde had said, adjusting her glasses as she seemingly reassures Lena.

     Lena thanked her neighbor before retiring for the night, and she assumed that would be the end of the pair's late night conversations. The next night, she was surprised again when Kara poked her head out of her apartment to talk. The CEO didn't know whether to worry about Kara's sleeping hours or be impressed that she could keep such a high energy level with very little sleep. The late conversations become a routine at the end of the week, with Lena growing accustomed to seeing her blonde neighbor after she gets her door open. By Friday night, the routine leads them onto Lena's couch. Kara's feet are curled up under her, hiding her slippers. Her hair is in a messy bun, and tiny curls frame her glasses. Lena wishes that she could push the ringlets back and behind Kara's ear, but that would be too forward for someone she's just met.

     The blonde sips on a coffee that she had brought from her apartment as she listens to a story Lena is sharing about her day. Early on at work, two of her employees had been caught in a broom closet and sent to Human Resources to be dealt with accordingly. Kara finds the entire thing exceptionally hilarious.

"The same thing happened to me! You obviously didn't find your coworkers shagging, but I totally did! My best friend Winn was in the copy room, which I thought was odd, so I went to check on him, and he was not alone! He had cuddled up to the other assistant that Miss Grant had hired. I wish I could unsee what happened in there, but some things will be stuck with me forever," she admits, recalling her horror.

Lena smiles, which she's found herself doing a lot lately during these meetings. She knows how dangerous this could be, for both her and Kara. One wrong move, an arm placed here, a hand sitting there, and the whole balance of this budding friendship could falter. Lena was already thinking about her neighbor well after the blonde would go back to her apartment, any more of this contact could drive Lena into madness. Kara was attracting her like a magnet, like how the sun attracts the planets, and the only reason why they don't slam into its hot surface is because of their wills. Well, Lena might be projecting herself into this metaphor, but it doesn't make it any less true for her.

She isn't supposed to be thinking about Kara than way, especially since her neighbor has a mysterious boyfriend that Lena has yet to meet. It makes this situation so much worse, since she has no face to put on the idea of Kara having someone intimately in her life. It drives Lena crazy; if she could meet this man, see for herself that Kara's relationship with him is real, the CEO could find something else to devote her mind to. For now, she'll just have to face each conversation with the dangerous sun with an equally dangerous will.

* * *

  _I'll drink 'till it's empty_

_Stay out 'till it's late_

_I'll wake up at midday and marry my bed_

_I'll kiss all the women_

_Get punched in the head_

_You could offer the world, baby_

_But I'll take this instead_

 

     Kara thought Lena was the best thing since learning how to fly, she really did. When they had first met, the Kryptonian had been nervous. A new neighbor could be dangerous to her secret identity, but she had wanted to meet the mysterious person who would be living beside her. Kara knocks and speaks before she sees the dark-haired goddess in front of her, and she's glad that the words had come out before her eyes had landed on muscular calves and a tight dress. The woman had turned around quickly, startled by Kara's voice, and the blonde's mouth went dry. Lena's black hair was pulled into a tight bun that showed off her long neck and high cheekbones. Her black dress hugged in the right places, but still left a lot to Kara's imagination. She reacted as if her new neighbor had taken away all of her inhibitions, and she felt like Red Kryptonite was coursing through her cheeks as she blushed. The blonde had exited swiftly, afraid of what could've happened if she had stayed. Lena was amazing, Kara could tell just from a minute-long conversation.

     Every time Kara heard the door to Lena's apartment struggle and fight, the blonde would drop what she was doing and race to the door. Lena had a gravitational pull unlike anything she had ever felt before, and often times, Kara would find herself thinking about the dark-haired woman even when she wasn't at home. Recently, she had even remembered how Lena had smiled at one of her jokes as she fought a rogue alien from Fort Rozz. The distraction had cost her a punch to the cheek, but Kara would've taken a thousand punches that day if it meant that she could think about her neighbor. Kara had also thought about Lena while she was with Mon-El, funnily enough. 

"I think I should introduce you to my neighbor, Lena," Kara had suggested as the pair sat in her living room, television playing some human sport.

"The one that just moved in? I don't think so. Any connection to your true identity could clue her in to who you really are," he had said, mouth full of pizza.

"Who I really am?" Kara asked, almost offended. "I wasn't planning on walking you up to her and going 'this is my boyfriend, Mon-El. He's from space, oh, and by the way, so am I.'"

     Mon-El just looked at her, like her was tired of her talking, before turning his attention back to the game. His attention span was like a little boy's, but it made him endearing sometimes. It made him annoying in that moment, but Kara had been finding him to be annoying more and more recently, so she took that feeling with a grain of salt. Mon-El was just not used to human customs and behaviors, and it was taking him a long time to get used to not acting like a Daxamite. Kara had been taking him to work with her, but those were dangerous days because she never knew exactly what was going to come flying out of his mouth. Mon-El was right, he didn't need to meet Lena just yet, but not because Kara was afraid of losing her secret. She was afraid that he might say something stupid and ruin the good thing she had going with her neighbor.

One night, while Kara was sitting on Lena's couch, all cozy and happy, her D.E.O. phone started to buzz. She juggled it for a moment before answering with a quick hello.

"Kara, I need you down at the park, some guy is trying to tear up half of the trees because he hates them," Alex says into the phone, sounding determined and not at all sorry for ruining Kara's good night.

"Lena, I am so sorry, but my sister needs me at her place, something about a plumbing problem. I'll talk to you later?" Kara said, already moving for the door.

     The woman on the couch had looked confused, but she bought Kara's lie and wished her a goodnight. It made Kara sad to leave in the middle of their conversation, but Supergirl had to save National City, no matter what Kara Danvers was doing at the moment. Maybe one day, she'll be able to hang up the cape for a few hours, but that day seemed far away and almost impossible. Lena would just have to wait until tomorrow night to continue their debate about puppies versus kittens.

Kara was in deeper than she realized. 

 

 


	2. Selfish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena can't help feeling jealous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by "Woman" by Harry Styles (The whole story was really based on the song whoops)

_I'm selfish, I know_

_But I don't ever want to see you with him_

_You're selfish, I know_

_I told you but I know you never listen_

_I hope you can see, the shape that I'm in_

_While he's touching your skin_

_He's right where I should, where I should be_

_But you're making me bleed_

 

   Lena loves her office, truly. The feeling of getting to work behind her desk, being productive all day and into the night, makes her feel like she's actually accomplishing something at LuthorCorp. Sure, the late nights and last minute meetings weren't optimal, but Rome wasn't built in a day. It would take time to rebuild her family's company, but Lena had signed herself up for the long haul. In fact, Lena was in one of those poorly scheduled meetings with her board when she got the news. A trip to space had gone sour when the spacecraft, a small shuttle called the Venture, suffered an engine failure. Thankfully the passengers were safe and sound after being rescued by Earth's resident Kryptonians. It had been a shock to everyone in the conference room, but Lena had a sense of relief wash over her. She had a ticket for that flight, booked two years in advance, that she had to give up due to the meeting. 

  When she had gone to bed that night, she quit thinking about the flight. Why worry about something that had been resolved? Of course she knew it would look suspicious to a watchful eye, that she, Lena Luthor, had suddenly cancelled her ticket right before the craft malfunctioned. Lena thought it would take about a week for someone to come knocking on her office door, but when a Daily Planet reporter from Metropolis shows up in her lobby the next morning, she's almost surprised. What surprises her more, however, is the small frame behind Clark Kent. Lena's neighbor is wearing her glasses, like always, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and she's conservatively dressed in a simple white dress with a pink cardigan with a tan belt. Lena thinks she looks stunning, but when hasn't she been thinking that when she's around her neighbor?

   Lena wants to say a quick greeting, but Clark cuts her off before she can even start. He squeezes himself beside her in the elevator, rattling off on something about the Venture explosion, which Lena expected. The CEO sighs as he talks, she's too busy for this man, but Lena can see Kara out of the corner of her eye as the blonde stares at her. She could probably fit the two in before her morning coffee, right? Maybe she'll be able to get rid of Clark in a timely enough manner so that she has more time to talk to Kara. The elevator dings and the doors slide open, allowing her some breathing room as she walks towards her office.

"There is a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why I wasn't aboard the Venture yesterday, Mr. Kent," Lena says, striding into her home away from home quickly. She has plans for some redecorating once things settle down around her, but for now there is just a modest desk and a small white couch to fill up most of the space. It reminds her of the new apartment, in a way; it's just small enough to feel cozy without the suffocation feeling she gets in the conference room.

"Well, that's why we're here," responds the dark-haired reporter. A bite attaches itself to his words, which Lena doesn't quite understand. She had dealt with the Daily Planet plenty before when she lived in Metropolis, but Mr. Kent appeared to be annoyed with his assignment.

"There was an emergency meeting regarding a ceremony I'm holding tomorrow," Lena explains as she hangs up her coat on the sleek stand under her television. "I'm renaming my family's company, and I had to cancel my plans."

"That was lucky," he claims.

"No, what was lucky is that Superman was there to save the day-"

"Supergirl was there too," Kara interjects, almost nervously as she holds her pen and notepad. Lena thinks this side of her neighbor is cute, not that she would ever admit it out loud.

"Right. Well, can we hurry this along, Mr. Kent? Ask me what you need to, but I didn't have anything to do with the explosion," she says, already vexed by the journalist's presence. Kara could've easily come by herself, but instead she brought this man who appears to have already passed judgement on her. "In fact, you wouldn't be asking me at all if my last name was something common, like Smith."

"But it isn't Smith, is it Ms. Luthor?" he aks, smug about having her pinned in a corner. Her assumptions about him were right then. Clearly Clark had something against her brother, his questions have undertones of aggression, and his body language suggests that he's ready for Lena to pull something over his eyes. She almost scoffs, did this man judge everyone in this building because they work here, or was it just because she happened to be Lex's sister?

"It wasn't always. I was adopted when I was four," she says, dreadfully ready for this conversation to be over. 

"I didn't know that," Kara says, curious eyes peeking up from behind her glasses. The man beside her looks taken aback, like he didn't know that Lena and Kara had a preexisting relationship. A glance is passed between the two, and Lena stores her inquiry into the back of her mind to ask Kara about it later.

"Yes, and Lex was the one to truly accept me; he made me proud to be a Luthor. Then he went on his reign of terror, trying to destroy Superman, and I vowed to make a difference here. I want to change the public's view of the name Luthor. I'm renaming the company L Corp to cut ties with him and the rest of my family," Lena states, flicking open a presentation on her television as she continues. "I'm just a woman trying to make a name for herself outside of her family, you understand that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," Kara says, briefly looking at Clark before smiling at the CEO.

Lena sighs, "Look, here is everything my company has on the malfunctioning part on the Venture. I hope it helps with your investigation." She pauses, looking at the reporter who is visibly repulsed by her proximity. "Give me a chance, Mr. Kent."

"Good day, Mrs. Luthor," he says, turning around and leaving abruptly. Lena almost smiles at his demeanor, but when she looks to Kara, there is an unspoken apology.

"You didn't tell me you were the CEO of a huge company," the blonde says, a glimmer of humor flickering in her eyes.

"I didn't tell anyone outside of this building, Kara. Did you see how he spoke to me? It was like I was his enemy. That is how almost everyone in my life has treated me for the past year, so I try to keep quiet about the whole thing," Lena relents as she moves back to her desk. "If you don't mind, Kara, I'm behind on some paperwork here."

   The blonde nods before following Clark's path out of the office. As soon as she's out of Lena's sight, the CEO lets her head drop onto her hands. If this was how someone from Metropolis treated her, how would the people of National City take to her tomorrow? And why was sweet, amazing Kara with someone who was so quick to judge her? The blonde works for Catco, a publication known more for fashion advice and celebrity gossip than hard-hitting investigations into spaceship explosions. Lena didn't even know that Kara wanted to be a journalist. It worries Lena, for Kara to know who she is. Not everyone is as accepting as her neighbor, but would that change now that her secret is out?

 Flying in a helicopter wouldn't help her anxiety, in fact, Lena hated flying. Statistically, its the safest way to travel, she knows, but something about being in the sky with no chance to control a bad situation was the worst thing she could imagine. LuthorCorp's helicopter is still waiting for her on the roof for her, though, so the CEO steels her will and climbs into the hulk of machinery that could kill her. Just as the helicopter lifts off the ground, however, two drones make an appearance in front of Lena and the pilot.

"What the hell?" she asks, staring out of the windshield at the flying objects.

   They begin firing bullets without warning, and Lena hides her face as if it would help. Her eyes slam shut as she waits, but nothing happens. Lena opens her eyes to see Superman and Supergirl blocking the bullets, shielding the helicopter. The CEO can feel her heart racing as she watches what appears to be a conversation between the Kryptonians and the drones, but with her headset and the constant whirring of helicopter blades, she can't tell what is being said. In an instant, Superman flies away, chasing after something in the distance while Supergirl destroys one of the drones with her heat vision. Lena would've been impressed if it weren't for the ball of anxiety and fear making its way up her throat. The next drone fares better than the first, shooting what appears to be a rocket straight at Lena. There's an explosion, and Supergirl falls, smashing into the helipad and splintering the concrete.

   It wastes no time as it turns to fire at the helicopter, damaging the craft and knocking the pilot unconscious. Lena screams as she starts to fall, watching in slow motion as the blonde hero eliminates the last drone before flying towards the bottom of the death-trap Lena finds herself in. It doesn't take long for Lena to feel the solid building under the helicopter, and she almost cries with relief. She rips off her headset as Supergirl rips open the pilot's door and checks his pulse.

"What the hell was that?" Lena questions frantically, trying to process all she has seen in the last few minutes.

"Someone is trying to kill you," responds Supergirl, looking at Lena.

    Why on Earth would anyone try to kill her now? It makes sense, that there would be an attempt on her life while she was in National City, but so soon? Lena hasn't outed herself as the official CEO of LuthorCorp yet, so who would know about where she was? It made no sense to Lena, but it fueled the fire burning inside her. The sooner she could right Lex's wrongs and make a better name for herself, the better, and it starts with her ceremony tomorrow.

     She works well into the wee hours of the night, studying her speech for the morning's daunting task. She feels a ball of anxiety work its way into her chest but forces it back down. So many things could go wrong; it isn't like she's a celebrity here. Lena's probably the most hated woman in National City, if today's assassination attempt was any clue, yet here she was, putting herself in possible danger to fix the Luthor reputation. She doesn't remember how she finds her way to her apartment door, but as soon as she reaches the frame, the heels she'd been wearing all day find themselves unceremoniously kicked onto the carpet. The key in her door gets stuck like it always does, and when Lena finally gets it to turn, the door won't budge. She tries throwing her body against the wood only to be pushed back a few feet. A worried pair of blue eyes pop out from the door to Lena's left, eyebrows furrowed. The blonde is still in her outfit from this morning, which might've been odd to Lena on any other day, but it was two in the morning and she had almost died earlier.

"Is that door giving you trouble again?" Kara asks, moving to stand next to Lena. The blonde seems wary of something, and maybe a little protective of the CEO. Without her heels on, the dark-haired woman is a few inches shorter than her neighbor, something she hadn't noticed before. Lena nods, watching as Kara rolls up her sleeves.

"Alright, Mr. Door. My friend Lena needs to get into her apartment before she falls asleep out here, so I'm going to have to ask you to move," the blonde says, shaking out her arms before putting them into a boxing position. It makes Lena smile, to see Kara like this. She seems like a completely different person than the shy girl who was in her office this morning.

"I don't think punching the door is going to help this situation, Kara," Lena smirks. 

"Yeah, but the door doesn't know that, does it? I'm using intimidation to get inside your apartment," Kara huffs, squaring her shoulders. The blonde walks up to the door before throwing her shoulder into the wood, which gives way almost immediately. She makes a motion with her arms in a 'ta-da' before bowing.

   Lena finds herself amazed and clapping before she knows what happened. "That was amazing, truly. You'll have to teach me that sometime," she says as she gathers her shoes and purse off of the ground. Kara smiles shyly, mumbling something about it not being a big deal. Lena wants to respond, but a new voice cuts her off.

"Is everything okay out here? Kara, shouldn't you come back now?" A man says, sticking his head out of Kara's apartment. He looks like a teenage boy, the more Lena studies him, with his messy hair and clean-shaven face.

"Mike! Come meet Lena, my new neighbor! Lena, this is my boyfriend, Mike," Kara says, striding over to the man to pull him into the hallway. Mike looks like he's rather be anywhere else, not that Lena can blame him. She'd rather be in her apartment pretending that Kara's boyfriend was far away, or maybe doesn't exist, but Lena puts on her business face anyways and reaches a slender hand towards him.

"Hi, Kara's told me all about you. I'm Lena Luthor," she says, watching his shoulders raise slightly at the use of her last name.  _Good_ , she thinks,  _let him be uncomfortable._  

"I hope she hasn't told you too much," he responds, looking sideways at the blonde beside him. "Nice to officially meet you. It's crazy to see you in person and not on a news broadcast."

   Lena is almost taken aback. Most people would scoot around this topic of conversation when around her, especially after today's news cycle about the accident, but here was this man-child trying to get a rise out of her. Lena retracts her hand before raising one of her eyebrows, staring Mike down. This was her building too; she was not about to feel out of place in her own home. The two stare each other down for a few seconds, every bit the opposite of the other. Mike was dressed casually, too casual, in her opinion, to be around Kara. Kara deserved the world, not this old t-shirt, muddy sneakers wearing man. Lena prided herself in dressing up everyday, with her black dress and red coat, obsidian hair cascading in curls that frame her face. Sure, she wasn't wearing shoes, but that was a problem to think about later.

Kara clears her throat, shifting uneasily from side to side. "Mike, do you want to go warm up some leftovers? I think there's some Chinese in the fridge."

"Yeah, that sounds good. Don't stay out here too long,  _babe_ ," he says, looking straight at Lena. She almost laughs at the clear showing of dominance he tries to pull over her. 

Mike retreats back into Kara's apartment, leaving the two women alone in the hallway. Kara looks apologetic, but if she is, it isn't mentioned. "Are you okay, by the way? I saw the news earlier, that seemed so awful!"

"It was terrifying, but I'm thankful that Supergirl and Superman showed up when they did. I should be dead," Lena says, recalling the events of this afternoon.

"I'm glad you aren't dead. I know its only been two weeks, but this hallway wouldn't be the same without you," Kara claims quietly. It comes out a little quicker than the blonde's usual speech pattern, like she had to force it out, but Lena's appreciative all the same.

The CEO is about to tell Kara just that when there's a sharp voice from the open door behind the blonde, asking her where the food is.

"I'll see you later? I have to go help him," Kara sighs, already moving back.

   Lena nods before entering her own apartment and closing the door. Of all the people in this world, Kara had to choose the dumbest one to be with? They were polar opposites. The blonde was bright and cheery and reminded Lena of a sunflower patch, Lena offhandedly thinks of a lost dog when she thinks of Mike's behavior. What kind of name was Mike, anyways? It sounds fake to her, but then again, she's just projecting her feelings onto his name. The tired woman pushes herself into her bedroom before she falls asleep on top of the covers, too exhausted to think anymore.

* * *

_Tempted, you know_

_Apologies are never gonna fix this_

_I'm empty, I know_

_And promises are broken like a stitch is_

_I hope you can see, the shape that I'm in_

_While he's touching your skin_

_This thing upon me, hounds like a beast_

_You flower, you feast_

 

    When Lena's alarm rings five hours later, she thinks about turning it off and never getting out of bed, but Luthors don't quit, according to her mother. It takes her a few hours to shower and get ready, to reread her speech and practice her expressions. This day could make or break her company; everything she has worked for in the last two weeks has led up to the next few moments. The CEO steps out of her sleek, black car before her eyes land on her very own neighbor. Kara has on pants today, with a striped shirt and green jacket, and her glasses shift when the blonde waves to Lena.

"Hi! I thought I should come out and show some support for my favorite neighbor," Kara says, smiling from ear to ear.

"Thank you Kara, that means a lot to me," Lena responds, watching as her neighbor blushes.

The two start walking towards the center of the park, where Lena can see the small stage built for her and the twenty or so reporters. She sighs, what was she expecting, a crowd to welcome her to National City?

"My brother is serving 32 consecutive life sentences, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there isn't a big turnout," she says, watching the few people who did show up. They seem nervous, but Lena hopes to change their minds about her in the next few minutes.

 "You're taking a big risk by doing this, you know, with your life being in danger and all," Kara says, looking at Lena with worried eyes.

"I won't have a life if I can't turn this company into something positive," Lena sighs, taking in the scene before her. "All it will be remembered for is Lex's madness, and I can't live with that."

   Lena had risked everything for this, like her nanotechnology work and her relationship with Jack, and who knows where those things would've gone had she stayed in Metropolis. She climbs the steps to the stage, leaving Kara behind as the CEO moves to stand behind the glass podium. Her nerves are building, and her heart won't calm down no matter how many exercises she had done this morning. A big gulp of air makes its way into her lungs, and Lena has to force herself to push it back out slowly.

"I want to thank you all for taking the time to come out today," she begins, eyeing the reporters as they scramble to write down her words on small notepads. "My brother hurt a lot of good, innocent people, and my family owes a debt to everyone."

   Kara half-listens to her neighbor as Lena continues with her speech. The blonde can see her sister, Alex, standing a few feet away, and James is coming from the back of the park. The D.E.O. was on edge today; J'onn had warned them about a possible attempt on Lena's life. It made Kara's face burn in rage to think about. Lena was not her brother, she was more like Kara than she knew. the Kryptonian could relate to the CEO in more ways than one. Kara understands the need to step out of a family's shadow. Her own cousin was Superman, and all of the Fort Rozz escapees could talk to her about was the fact that her mom had imprisoned them. The blonde felt oddly protective of her neighbor, something she hasn't thought about too much.

   An explosion interrupts Lena's speech as the path behind her erupts into flames. Kara immediately jumps into action as people scream and scatter, debris raining down on the scene. Soon, the entire stage, including the new L-Corp sign, burst into white hot heat. Kara looks for Lena, but the CEO has disappeared. She changes into her super suit just in time to shield James and another girl from a falling piece of concrete, groaning as the slab slams into her back.

"Go!" she tells James before looking up at the L-Corp building. Windows have burst, and the foundations sway in the wind after the explosions. She flies as quickly as she can to steady the wavering tower before her cousin appears.

"You're a little late," she says. Superman smiles and says something about bad traffic, but he's interrupted by Alex in Kara's earpiece.

"I've got eyes on Corben," Alex claims, walking behind the man disguised as a police officer. The D.E.O. agent is upset that she couldn't find him sooner, but the problem is in front of her now. She watches as the would-be killer strides up to Lena Luthor.

"Officer, thank God," Lena says, stumbling towards Corben. 

   He raises his pistol at the CEO, and Alex barely reaches him before he shoots. The bullets fly into the ground as she forces Corben's arm down and spinning him around. Alex's elbow jabs into his face twice before she grabs the pistol and throws it to the side. The two trade punches, fists flying. Alex reaches into her waistband to grab her own gun, but Corben uses her momentum to spin her into his front, arms wrapped around her neck. Her feet swing off of the ground for a few seconds, then slam back into the sidewalk as she uses the extra force to slip Corben over her back. He rolls to his feet, whipping a knife towards Alex's face. She dances around the blade, watching as he rolls towards his gun before pointing it at her face.

Supergirl lands behind the two, flinching slightly as Corben pins Alex to his front, gun pressing into her temple. Alex tries to shift her body away from him, but his arm tightens on her neck. 

"Let her go," Kara demands, stepping closer to the pair.

"No, you're going to let me walk out of here, Supergirl," Corben claims, pressing his gun harder into Alex.

"Did Lex Luthor hire you? To kill his sister?" she asks, slowly inching towards Corben. Kara knows she's faster than a bullet, but there was no separation between the gun and Alex's head. If Corben pulled the trigger, Alex would be dead.

"You're a clever girl, aren't you? I'm leaving, and there's nothing you can d-"

   Alex whips her body to the left, leaving Corben's chest open for Kara. The Kryptonian starts to move, but before she can, gunshots ring out behind Corben. His chest starts to bleed, and Kara looks behind him to see Lena holding Alex's gun, hands shaking. Corben falls, taking Alex with him. The agent moves to check his wounds, pressing her hands into his chest.

"The bullets went through him; he's going to need some medical attention," Alex says, looking at her sister. "Nice work, Supergirl."

"I had help," Kara responds, looking back at her cousin. He's hovering in the air behind her, a small smile on his face. Kara flies to him, cape flapping in the wind.

"You did a good job with the building. I never would've thought about using heat vision to fix the support beams," he says, pride filling his chest.

Kara blushes; getting recognition from Clark was a huge deal to her. "Thanks for helping today."

   Superman nods before flying off. Kara sighs, looking down at the destroyed park. Alex is escorting Corben to an ambulance and James is helping civilians get out of the danger zone, but Lena is the one who catches her eye. The CEO doesn't have Alex's gun anymore, but she still looks just as threatening. She appears to be talking with her security detail, motioning around her in despair. Kara feels bad for the guards. Even though she's invincible, the blonde doesn't think that she'd ever want to be on Lena's bad side. The dark-haired woman was intimidating, that was for sure. 

   Lena feels her tiredness in her bones when she gets home. As always, her door refuses her entry into the apartment. Lena secretly hopes that Kara will poke her head out of her apartment like she always does, pushing her glasses up her nose and smiling at the CEO. Lena had wanted to talk with her neighbor after the attack today, but the blonde had disappeared. The CEO didn't blame er, of course. If her name wasn't Luthor, she probably would've run too. Thinking about the event makes her uneasy; her own brother tried to kill her from jail three times. If that doesn't make someone feel loved, she didn't know what would. The gun had felt heavy in her hand, and shooting it was an entirely new experience. Looking back, however, Lena decides that she would've made the same choice. Sure, Supergirl was there, but Corben would've killed that woman if Lena had not shot him.

   The dark-haired woman kicked her door in frustration. Did this door just hate her for some reason? Lena thinks about sleeping in the hallway, something she's thought about before, when a familiar blonde appears at the end of the hallway, walking out of the elevator. Lena smiles at her, but it falters at the sight of Mike walking behind Kara. The CEO wonders if he lives with Kara; she's seen him more than she's cared for in the past week. 

"You'd think that you'd be able to fix your door by now, or maybe just move out, considering how rich you are," he says, unlocking Kara's door. Lena chooses to ignore him, their last interaction was not a fun one, and Kara's feelings were more important than hers. She was dating this man for a reason, whatever that may be. Lena's neighbor sighs before looking at Lena. Her eyes send out another apology, but her mouth remains closed. Kara pads over to Lena's door before gently opening it.

"There is no way you just did that," Lena gapes, genuinely shocked.

Kara shrugs. "What can I say? Sometimes it just needs the magic touch," she says, wiggling her fingers in the air and smirking.

"I didn't get to see you after the attack, are you okay?" Lena asks, concern flitting across her mind.

The blonde laughs. "Am I okay? Lena you almost died twice in the same number of days! Your building was almost destroyed, yet you're asking me how I am?"

It's Lena's turn to shrug now. "Supergirl fixed my building, don't worry. It was a rush job, we'll have to fix it later, but it's still standing. Don't worry about me, Kara. Seriously, I'm good now that this is all over," she says, smiling. Lena notices that she smiles more when she's around Kara, more than she has in the past year, maybe. Kara makes her happy, and she's glad that they're friends.

"Kara! Did you order the food yet?" Mike says, moving back into the hallway.

"I will when I get back, I promise," Kara swears, but she doesn't take her eyes off of her neighbor.

"Babe, let's just go out to eat. I don't want to stay in your apartment anymore. There's a rat loose in the building," Mike says, eyes glaring daggers at Lena.

"Lena I am so sorry! He's never said anything like this before! I don't know what's gotten into him," Kara frantically shoves her boyfriend back into her apartment. "Seriously, what is wrong with you?" she yells behind the door.

   Lena's door creaks as she shuts it. Her forehead lands on the wood, the rough surface was somewhat soothing on her skin.  _Today could've gone better_ , she thinks, almost smiling at herself. As far as Luthor events typically go, the attack earlier today was mild, but Lena wishes that these catastrophic moments weren't normal for her. She also wishes, a little selfishly, that Kara wasn't with Mike. It's been a while since the pair had a real talk, mostly because of the blonde's boyfriend, and Lena misses her friend. Granted, Kara is her only friend in National City, but Lena chooses to ignore this fact. 

Besides, there's nothing wrong with being a little selfish now and then.

  
 

**Author's Note:**

> This entire work will be inspired by songs! If you have a song suggestion, comment! and come find me on tumblr at hedagriffen :)


End file.
